Welcome to Tech Talk, where our resident BMW tech Nick Owen answers all your pressing BMW technical questions, frustrations, and issues. Have a question for Nick? Email him at techtalk@roundel.org. Let’s get into it.
Dipstick Delete
Can you tell me why BMW and some other manufacturers are removing the dipstick? I refused to buy several cars because I couldn’t check the dipstick. One, the oil smelled like the engine had been cooked and overheated, the other was milky. I would like to know the condition of my oil if something is happening that may prevent a failure down the road.
Tom Kluczynski
San Diego, CA
This is merely my opinion and I have no proof on the matter, but dipsticks have been an endangered species for 20+ years. There are multiple contributing factors, the main one being owners could not consistently read the oil level accurately and therefore have confusion based on their interpretation of the measurement. That means visits to the dealership only to end up wasting everyone’s time because the determination was user error. The oil level was correct, even though they thought it was 1/3 of a quart low.
While this may not seem difficult for you or me, most BMW owners are not “car people” and could care less about checking their own oil on occasion. I would say that most BMW owners couldn’t read a dipstick anyway. Also, the dipstick is part of the PCV system and falls under emission control devices. Theoretically, failure to secure the dipstick after a check could result in a vacuum leak, increasing emissions, check engine light, blah blah blah…Manufacturers use this as an opportunity to eliminate a lot of problems from the root cause, the dipstick.
2013 BMW 335is convertible
I was the lucky winner via BAT of a flawless 335is convertible. One owner, 18,000 miles, impeccably maintained from brand new. The original owner claims it was never used in rain, and it shows as such underneath. Everything seems to be in order mechanically. Just wondering if there is a priority list of what I should inspect or replace due to age. The car was maintained exclusively at a BMW dealer in Colorado since new.
Patrick Ongena
Since it’s such low mileage, I would check all things rubber and make sure they’re not rotted away from sitting. Drive belt and tires to name a few. Tires expire after 7 years, regardless of tread depth.
The E93 was not the best at repelling water, like most convertibles, so try to avoid high pressure washes and rain storms as it will show the age of the rubber seals on the convertible top. Don’t be surprised if you get some water intrusion. Make sure the body drains are not plugged.
Make sure the battery is healthy, if not, replace it as getting to it with the top stowed is not fun.
AHL Headlamps
I own a 2011 E90 335i xDrive (manual transmission and 132,000 miles; my forever car) which was designed and built with a problem that I haven’t been able to solve.
The problem is that the AHL xenon headlamp design is incompatible with the combination of run-flat tires and New Jersey potholes. My E39 with normal radial tires are much more compliant when hitting potholes. Hitting them in my E90 is teeth-rattling. The headlamps’ delicate mechanisms are no match for our real-world road conditions.
My current headlamps are OEM replacements for the originals. Both sets were damaged beyond repair by run-flats hitting portholes. My current headlamps are now scanning for birds, airplanes and helicopters. I would like to lean on BMW CCA experience and expertise.
Are there any aftermarket xenon headlamps that you can recommend for my E90 that have fixed aiming, ie., no AHL? Replacing the OEM replacements at $2400 per set would have me exhibiting a contemporary definition of insanity. I’m not there yet, but this headlamp issue is driving me in that direction.
George F. Bailey
Sorry to hear about this, but try looking here: https://bayoptiks.com/
While these may not be DOT approved, they might be able to get the job done at a cost-effective rate. Probably going to require some coding that will eliminate any warning light errors that pop up, but this is common with aftermarket parts.
